Device for transferring bobbins to a spooling frame

Abstract

A device for transferring bobbins of yarn from a bobbin container to a bobbin receptacle on a spooling frame where the yarn is "refined" by cutting out bad spots, has slide gate units (13, 14) that are divided into slide gate unit halves. On the basis of a control system that comprises in particular an optical monitoring device (40, 41, and 42, 43), a given row of bobbins are transferred by a box slide from the bobbin container to the slide gate units (13, 14) or sliding gate unit halves. In two steps they fall from there onto a pair of cross-conveyors (11, 12) that operate in opposite directions. Each cross-conveyor is associated with a righting chute (10). A bobbin that is on the outside by-passes the cross-conveyor and falls directly onto the righting chute, while the others are transferred, at intervals, to the righting chute, as it is emptied. With the aid of a controllable supporting end (59) at the lower end of the chute, the bobbin is transferred at the scheduled time, to the bobbin receptacle (6) of one of a number of bobbin holders (4) on the spooling frame (5).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for transferring bobbins of yarn from a bobbin container to a bobbin receptacle on a spooling frame, comprising: a frame; at least one pair of slide gate units for receiving a row of bobbins, said slide gate units being mounted for sliding movement to said device frame and being spaced from each other by distance substantially equal to an axial length of the bobbins, each slide gate unit having means for carrying one end of one of said bobbins so that each bobbin is supported between said one pair of slide gate units; at least one cross-conveyor mounted for movement to said frame below said at least one pair of slide gate units, said means for carrying the bobbin ends of each slide gate unit being movable with movement of each slide gate unit to discharge a bobbin from said pair of slide gate units to said at least one cross-conveyor, said cross-conveyor having a delivery end for delivering bobbins on said cross-conveyor, a righting chute connected to said frame and positioned below said slide gate units and adjacent said delivery end of said cross-conveyor for receiving bobbins from one end of said slide gate units and from said delivery end of said cross-conveyor, said righting chute having a chute delivery end spaced away from said conveyor delivery end and away from said slide gate units from which bobbins are discharged from said chute, closing means operatively connected to said chute for closing said chute delivery end to retain a bobbin on said chute, whereby with said chute delivery end being adjacent a bobbin receptacle of a spooling frame, said closing means are activatable to release a bobbin from said righting chute to drop into the bobbin receptacle, said righting chute extending in a direction substantially parallel to an axis of the bobbin receptacle so that bobbins moving from said righting chute are discharged into the bobbin receptacle. 
     
     
       2. A device according to claim 1 including a second cross-conveyor mounted for movement to said frame at the same level as said at least one cross-conveyor, said second cross-conveyor having a discharge end which is opposite from said conveyor discharge end said at least one cross-conveyor, and conveyor drive means connected to said at least one cross-conveyor and said second cross-conveyors for driving said cross-conveyors in opposite directions toward their respective conveyor delivery ends. 
     
     
       3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said at least one and said second cross-conveyors each include an endless conveyor element having a horizontal conveying surface movable by said conveyor drive means. 
     
     
       4. A device according to claim 3 wherein said conveyor element of each cross-conveyor includes a plurality of projecting ridges spaced there along dividing said horizontal conveying surface into equal segments each for receiving one bobbin, each segment having a width in the direction of movement of said horizontal conveying surface which is approximately equal to a diameter of a bobbin to be conveyed, said conveyor drive means including means for intermittently moving said horizontal conveying surfaces by incremental lengths equal to the width of said equal segments. 
     
     
       5. A device according to claim 3 wherein said righting chute is inclined with respect to said horizontal conveying surface, said chute discharge end being lower than a chute receiving end which is adjacent said conveyor discharge end of said at least one cross-conveyor. 
     
     
       6. A device according to claim 1 including a damping lever pivotally mounted to said frame, said at least one cross-conveyor having a conveying element with a horizontal conveying surface position below said pair of slide gate units, said damping lever being pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis and having one end adjacent said conveyor delivery end and extending into a path of movement of one end of a bobbin falling from said at least one cross-conveyor onto said chute for slowing the descent of the one end of the bobbin as it falls onto said chute, said one end of said damping lever pivotal away from said path of movement as the bobbin passes the damping lever. 
     
     
       7. A device according to claim 6 wherein said damping lever comprises a two armed lever having one arm carrying said one end of said lever which projects into the path of movement of a bobbin, and an opposite end, said one end of said two armed lever comprising an impact member against which the one end of the bobbin falls and an adjustable weight operatively connected to said opposite end of said damping lever for counterbalancing said impact member. 
     
     
       8. A device according to claim 1 wherein, said closing means of said righting chute are adjustable in position along the length of the righting chute and said righting chute is adjustable with respect to the bobbin receptacle. 
     
     
       9. A device according to claim 1 wherein said closing means comprises a stopping lever pivotally mounted to said frame and having a stopping end movable into a path of movement of a bobbin on said chute adjacent said chute delivery end for stopping a bobbin on said chute at said chute delivery end. 
     
     
       10. A device according to claim 9 wherein said closing means includes an electromagnet operatively connected to said stop lever for pivoting said stop lever to move said stopping end out of the path of movement of a bobbin on said chute. 
     
     
       11. A device according to claim 10 wherein said electormagnet comprises a rotary magnet having an axis of rotation, a toggle joint connected between said axis of rotation and said stop lever for rotating said stop lever with activation of said rotary magnet, said stop lever being mounted to said device frame at a rotation axis, said toggle joint being connected to said stop lever at an articulation point which is spaced away from said rotation axis of said stop lever. 
     
     
       12. A device according to claim 11 wherein said toggle joint comprises a first lever portion connected to said rotary magnet for rotation about said axis of rotation of said rotary magnet and a second lever portion connected to said first lever portion at a pivot point, said pivot point, said axis of rotation of said rotary magnet and said articulation point extending in a straight line when said stopping end of said stop lever is in the path of movement of a bobbin on said chute for stopping the bobbin on said chute. 
     
     
       13. A device according to claim 12 wherein said stop lever is made of shock absorbing material. 
     
     
       14. A device according to claim 9 wherein said chute is inclined, a bobbin on said chute having a lower end engageable with said stopping end of said stop lever and an upper end, an ejection lever pivotally mounted to said frame and having an ejection end movable into the path of movement of the upper of the bobbin on said chute, and means for pivoting said ejection lever in synchronism with pivoting of said stop lever for moving said ejection end against an upper end of a bobbin while said stopping end of said stop lever is moved out of the path of movement of the bobbin for ejecting a bobbin from said chute. 
     
     
       15. A device according to claim 14 including a plate-shaped braking element positioned upstream of said stop lever in the direction of movement of a bobbin on said chute for braking movement of a bobbin as it leaves said chute. 
     
     
       16. A device according to claim 15 wherein said braking element has a lower end for engaging a bobbin to center a bobbin on said chute as the bobbin moves on said chute. 
     
     
       17. A device according to claim 1 wherein each of said slide gate units has a U-shaped cross section taken in a vertical plane, said cross conveyor having a conveyor element with a horizontal conveying surface, said slide gate units being mounted for movement in a horizontal direction on said frame, each U-shaped cross section of said slide gate units having an upper leg and a lower leg extending substantially parallel to said horizontal conveying surface, said upper and lower legs each having a plurality of alternating tabs and recesses, each recess being slightly larger than an end of a bobbin to be supported on said slide gate units, said tabs and recesses of said upper legs being staggered with respect to said tabs and recesses of said lower legs so that bobbins discharged onto said slide gate units have their ends initially supported between the tabs of said upper legs, said slide gate units being moved to discharge the bobbins so that their ends fall through recesses of said upper legs onto tabs of said lower legs and, thereafter, said slide gate units are movable to discharge the ends of the bobbins through the recesses of the lower legs onto said cross-conveyor. 
     
     
       18. A device according to claim 17 including means defining vertical guides fixed to said device frame and positioned for guiding ends of said bobbins through said recesses of said upper and lower legs and past said tabs of said upper and lower legs. 
     
     
       19. A device according to claim 18 wherein each of said guides is formed by a pair of spaced apart blocks having selected widths which are selected to provide vertical guides sufficiently large to pass the ends of the bobbins. 
     
     
       20. A device according to claim 19 wherein one of said vertical guides at an end of said slide gate units is positioned above said chute, the remainder of said guides being positioned above said cross-conveyor. 
     
     
       21. A device according to claim 1 wherein said slide gate units and said cross-conveyor extend horizontally, said cross-conveyor being spaced vertically below said slide gate units to define an intermediate space there between, and first sensing means connected to said frame for sensing said intermediate space for the presence of bobbins therein which had dropped from said slide gate units onto said cross-conveyor. 
     
     
       22. A device according to claim 21 including second sensor means connected to said frame for sensing the presence of a bobbin on said chute near said chute delivery end. 
     
     
       23. A device according to claim 22 wherein each slide gate unit comprises a slide slidably mounted to said frame, slide drive means operatively connected to said slides for moving said slides horizontally to discharge bobbins received on said slides onto said cross-conveyor, said slide drive means being connected to said two slides for moving said two slides in synchronism with each other. 
     
     
       24. A device according to claim 23 wherein said slide drive means are operatively connected to said first and second sensing means for activation and response to signals from said first and second sensing means. 
     
     
       25. A device according to claim 24 wherein said slide drive means comprises an electric motor, an eccentric connected to said electric motor for rotation by said electric motor, said eccentric being operatively connected to said slides for moving said slides horizontally with rotation of said eccentric. 
     
     
       26. A device according to claim 25 including adjusting means connected to at least one of said slides for moving said one slide toward and away from the other slide for adjusting the distance between said slides for accommodating bobbins of different lengths. 
     
     
       27. A device according to claim 26 wherein said slide drive means include a drive shaft connected betewen said electric motor and said eccentric for rotating said eccentric, said drive shaft being telescopic for accommodating the adjustments of said adjusting means. 
     
     
       28. A device according to claim 27 where said electric motor comprises a geared motor, said slide drive means including a toothed disc connected to said geared motor for rotation by said geared motor, a toothed disc connected to said drive shaft and a toothed belt engaged between said toothed discs for transmitting rotation of said geared motor to rotation of said drive shaft. 
     
     
       29. A device according to claim 28 including a trip cam connected to said drive shaft and a motor switch engageable by said trip cam for causing a selected amount of rotation of said drive shaft with activation of said motor for moving said slide gate units only by a selected amount. 
     
     
       30. A device according to claim 29 including conveyor drive means connected to said conveyor for moving said conveyor only by discreet amounts. 
     
     
       31. A device according to claim 30 wherein said conveyor drive means comprises a geared motor, a clutch connected to said geared motor, a toothed disc connected to said clutch, a toothed disc operatively connected to said conveyor and a toothed belt connected between said toothed disc of said conveyor drive means for moving said conveyor. 
     
     
       32. A device according to claim 31 wherein said first and second sensor means comprise first and second optical sensors.